as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
went from being a penniless girl to owner of her own restaurant
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Recent Examples of penniless
McGregor, on the other hand, had viewers in the palm of his hand as Christian, the penniless writer who falls in love with Satine despite her commitment to a truly vile duke, who has invested in the Moulin Rouge and promised to make Satine’s dreams of stage stardom come true.
—
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Some states are looking to what’s next In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor’s signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor's signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
Twenty-four masterpieces, many rarely lent, were gathered from museums all over the world and brought together in the city where Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, arrived penniless in 1592.
—Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026
Some states are looking to what’s next In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor’s signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
In the meantime, bills to deal with penniless cash transactions have passed both chambers and await the governor's signature in Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
Twenty-four masterpieces, many rarely lent, were gathered from museums all over the world and brought together in the city where Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi, arrived penniless in 1592.
—Nicole Krauss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for penniless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penniless
Adjective
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Among the Cambodians to exploit the instability was Toek Tik, a once-impoverished former Khmer Rouge foot soldier whose confessions helped investigators substantiate some of their claims against Latchford.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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And the people who got trapped behind—and who are now the impoverished mass of the remaining Cuban population—are the descendants of the slave population, or those who intermarried with the slave population.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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These conditions can increase your vulnerability to adverse effects from poor air quality.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
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Equating the Holocaust to Gaza is in extremely poor taste.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Three years into his term, America wasn't broke, but the stock market did experience some of its biggest single-day losses during the coronavirus pandemic.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
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This week, Knicks fans had a big win after a big loss; fans of inflation were delighted and World Cup fans went broke.—
Holly J. Morris,
NPR,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Penniless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penniless. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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